Hobbies That Make Money #1: Freelance Writing

Are you a wordsmith at heart? Do you love to share, teach, and explore passions, ideas, and concepts through the written word?

If so, why not earn money as a writer?

Aside from being a hobby that makes money, writing can also help to further your current career – or even lead to a whole new one.

Professional blogger and columnist Holly Johnson earned a massive $225,000 in one year from freelance writing alone. “I barely got dressed, choosing to spend most work days in my pajamas on my couch,” she says.

Here’s the kicker:

You don’t have to be a New York Times journalist or bestselling author to make money as a writer. You also don’t need to be a certified expert.

What do you need?

You should be able to quickly learn about topics, ideas, and concepts, and then communicate them clearly. As Meir Ezra said, “Good writing is clear thinking made visible.”

Add a dollop of organization and time-management skills, and you’re all set!

How can you earn money from your writing?

One of the easiest ways to start is to freelance for businesses writing content for their blog.

This helps them to build a relationship with their target audience and bring in new customers through boosting their exposure in search engines.

This Instagrammer, Quin, shares his travel photos on his account Ever Changing Horizon. As a full-time photographer, Quin earns money selling prints on his website and promoting businesses to his audience through his work.

Later researched how much influencers earn, and received rates from a health and nutrition blogger. One blogger told them that she had 30K followers and regularly charges $325 per sponsored Instagram post and $350 for a sponsored giveaway post.

Once again, the key is to pick a niche and target audience. So what are you into? Travel, beauty, sports, history… the options are endless!

Hobbies That Make Money #5: Event Photography or Videography

If you’re a technophobe or would just prefer to earn money offline, why not try event photography or videography?

Wherever you live, there’ll be events needing a dedicated photographer – from live music to rodeos and business parties to weddings.

How much can you expect to be paid?

Well, event photography rates vary greatly based on a number of factors, such as location, experience, and how long you’d need to be there.

According to photography website PetaPixel, amateur photographers can expect to charge up to $75 per hour or $500 to shoot a wedding. Plus, you can expect this rate to grow substantially as you improve your skills, gain more experience, and build your brand.

To start, you’ll need a basic portfolio website.

Simple website builders like Wix and Squarespace make this a walk in the park.

Then, learn the basics of local SEO so that your website shows up in the search results when someone’s searching for an event photographer or videographer.

First you could teach or coach individuals or groups in person. To start, get involved in the local community.

For instance, if you want to teach music, head to the local music store and ask if you can put a flyer in their window. Or if you want to become a fitness coach, head to your local gym and ask the trainers how they got started.

Alternatively, you could start a blog or a YouTube channel with instructional articles or videos.

For example, Dana Willard teaches DIY crafts on her blog and YouTube channel under the brand name Made Everyday.

She earns money from advertising and selling her design patterns to help her followers recreate her exact designs.

If you want to teach or coach online, start by following blogs and YouTube channels in your niche to begin learning what works.

Summary: The Three-Step Formula to Make Money From Any Hobby

To summarize, let’s run through how to start earning money from one of your hobbies.

Step 1: Choose Your Hobby

There are countless hobbies that make money. Are you good at fixing things, dancing, choosing outfits, applying makeup, photography, or music?

Teaching and Coaching: Charge for sessions in person. Or build an audience and make money from ads, sponsorships, and online coaching sessions.

Step 3: Set the Foundations to Make Money

However you go about making money from your hobby, you need a clear understanding of three things:

Your Niche: What is it you do exactly and why? Get specific to cut through the noise. When there are countless other options available, what makes you the perfect solution for your viewers or customers?

Your Target Market: Understanding exactly who you’re targeting is the first step in serving them effectively. So make sure you’ve defined your ideal customer and understand their needs, problems, fears, hopes, ambitions, and goals.

The Benefit You Provide: You make money by providing value to people. So what core benefits do you provide? Never stop asking yourself, “What’s in it for them?”

Good luck!

Did we miss any hobbies that make money? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below!